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# The Restless Dead

#### by Mark D F Shirley

The copyright of this article remains with the original author. Articles may be copied or distributed freely for personal non-profit use, provided that the author is properly credited.

Ghosts are the feature of many folk tales, but are a subject largely overlooked in Ars Magica. This article is intended to present a method for using the restless spirits of mankind in the construction of Ars Magica stories. It greatly expands on the material given in The Broken Covenant of Calebais.

To the mediaeval philosophers, the spirit and the soul were two entirely different concepts. The soul is a wholly immaterial entity, the seat of the identity, beyond thought and action and granted by the breath of God. The spirit is the seat of the consciousness, and it is the intermediary that allows souls to control their physical bodies. Upon death, the soul wings its way to its final reward, be that Heaven, Hell (or somewhere else), and it usually takes the spirit with it. It is a commonly held superstition, however, that the spirit remains with the body for three days before joining its soul. The purpose of a wake is to appease the spirit of the dead person, and a Christian funeral allows it to finally shuffle off this mortal coil and rejoin its soul.

However, for a variety of reasons, a spirit might not leave the mortal world. The circumstances of an individual's death might cause it to remain behind, particularly if that death was highly emotionally charged or due to sudden violence or magic. When a wake is performed, the family of the deceased must be careful to observe the traditions closely, hiding all mirrors and other reflective surfaces and removing all the personal possessions of the dead person, else the spirit might become enamoured with the mortal world and stay. Magic can also trap a spirit and prevent it finding its rest. The spirit of someone who had a forceful personality in life that has a strong reason to remain on earth might be driven by their passions to refuse the call of the soul and stay to achieve some goal, such as revenge. The most common reason behind a spirit's prolonged existence on earth, however, is some tragedy suffered during life, that will not allow the spirit to rest until it is resolved. This tragedy must wound so deeply that even death cannot heal the trauma. Thus the most common ghosts are those of betrayed lovers, deserted children, and men and women who were murdered by false friends.

Ghosts can arise even if a valid Christian funerary ceremony has taken place, if the pull of the earthly passions is stronger than the pull of the soul. Each ghost has one or more tethers that keep it on earth - this might be a physical object, a strong emotion or a deed. A ghost may only find final rest once this tether has been fully resolved. This is not something that will usually occur naturally - ghosts, in general, cannot resolve their own tethers.

## Systems

The `character sheet' of a ghost is very simple. It consists of a Magic Might score and a number of personality traits. Other statistics are irrelevant. Ghosts no longer have a mind - this was seen as the link between the soul and the spirit, and thus was broken when the spirit decided (or was compelled) to remain on earth. They are wholly dedicated to the passions that keep them on earth.

A ghost's continued existence on earth is due to the tethers that bind them, and these are best represented in the Ars Magica game by personality traits. It is these personality traits that are the reason that the ghost exists in the first place, and are barriers to the ghost joining its soul in whatever Afterlife it has earnt. For example, the ghost of Benoic, who was murdered by his wife's lover might be described by the following personality traits:

- Vengeful towards Alain +4 (the ghost seeks revenge on the man who killed him)
- Loving towards Bethony +2 (the ghost loves his wife still, even though she abandoned him)
- Betrayed +3 (the ghost feels utterly abandoned by his wife's infidelity)
- Devoted to Children +1 (the ghost knows that Alain dislikes his children, and fears for their safety and happiness)

Ghosts are generally more emotional than mortals, and so the average Personality Trait is +4.

Ghosts have a Magic Might equal to the sum of their personality traits. Particularly old ghosts will have more Might - at least one more Might for each full five years since its death. For example, the ghost of Benoic will have a Magic Might of 10 for the first five years of its haunting, a Might of 11 for the next five years, etc. A really old ghost could be very powerful. In addition, a ghost that haunts an area with a magic aura will gain Might equal to the strength of the aura every five years. At the storyguide's option, an Infernal aura can have the same effect, but this will almost certainly twist the ghost in the process, so that the darker side of its personality becomes stronger.

If the ghost is surrounded by the cause of its unlife, it will gain more Might than average. Its personality traits could alter, thus increasing its Might. For example, Benoic haunts the abode of his wife, and sees his children being beaten by Alain. His Devoted personality trait will rise by one each time this happens, which will also give him an extra point of Might.

The appearance of a ghost can vary from being very real and physical to being just a luminous haze in the air with just the vaguest similarities to a human form. It all depends on the spiritual strength of the ghost, its ghostly experience and its own knowledge of its fate. A ghost that knows it is dead may appear less corporal than one which still believes it is alive. All ghosts can become invisible at will and only a few can come close to anything more substantial than translucent, the more Magic Might a ghost loses, the more corporeal it becomes. Ghosts with a Might over 25 can appear almost completely solid while ghosts with only 3 or fewer Might left can scarcely be seen. Ghosts that believe themselves to be alive will react to the physical world normally - they will not walk through walls, for example (unless the wall was built subsequent to the person's death).

Most ghosts have some power, even if it is nothing more than causing fear. Often, they have powers appropriate to their activities in life. Exceptionally strong powers will cost Might points. Ghosts regain Might at different rates, depending on the intensity of their emotions. In general, the setting of the sun restores all lost Might points to a ghost unless they have been destroyed (see below). A ghost defending or acting out its tethers will regain a number of Might per round equal to the strength of that personality trait. It will also get a bonus to all rolls equal to the personality trait whilst pursuing that aspect of its continued life on earth. Example: if Alain were to attack his children, Benoic could add 1 to all rolls made defending them; and if his Might points are diminished, he would regain them at a rate of 1 per round.

The Magic Might of a ghost indicates how strongly its passions keep it on earth. As such, Might serves as Magic Resistance and Penetration. A ghost overwhelmed by anger and hatred will be harder to control with magic than that of a forlorn lover. Magi have a variety of ways of dealing with ghosts, but so does superstition. The effectively of folk remedies largely depends on what the ghost believed in life. For example, in some countries in Eastern Europe, ghosts will not cross a line of salt. This folk remedy will have no effect on a French ghost, however.

### Sample powers for ghosts

- Apportation - this is the ability to cause objects to disappear from one place and appear in another, often out of thin air. This ability is usually restricted to objects of Target Small or Size -4, and costs at least 1 Might. Common objects moved are keys (to hide them) vermin (to scare people), a rain of stones (an annoyance), etc.
- Chill Presence - without actually manifesting, a ghost can make its presence known. In fact, recently created ghosts will constantly radiate this presence, whether visible or not. This power can manifest in a number of ways, some examples are: a lowering of temperature, the rattling of loose objects, an intense feeling of foreboding, a dimming of the lights, spectral noises (such as the rattling of chains, wailing, or the sound of dripping), etc. Whatever the form of this power is, it has a psychological effect on those that experience it, making people more jumpy and on edge. Alter all personality traits by one point - people become less Brave, more Cowardly, less Considerate, etc. Animals are particularly sensitive to this effect.
- Fear - nearly all ghosts have the ability to frighten the living. The mere presence of a ghost can make many people flee in terror, but when it wants to, a ghost can frighten even the bravest warrior. Anyone seeing a ghost must immediately make a Brave personality roll, with a penalty equal to the magnitude of the ghost's Might (i.e. its Magic Might divided by five, rounded up). If this is the first time the ghost has been seen, a failed roll indicates that the character runs away in panic. A successful roll means that the character can stay, but will be unnerved by the experience and likely to bolt. Subsequent visitations by the ghost have a lesser effect (such as a penalty of -2 to all rolls instead of running away), though the fear that a living man has for the dead will never altogether fade away. This power has no cost.
- Phantasm - this is the ability to create minor illusions. This includes strange smells, spectral voices, eerie mist, dimming of naked flames, etc. This power typically costs 1 Might point per magnitude of the equivalent Hermetic spell.
- Possession - this is not that common an ability amongst ghosts - most possessions are the province of demons. However, those that do possess others tend to specialise in it. Possession takes place in two stages, Contact (penetration of magic resistance) and Control (forcing the body to take a specific action). Contact costs the ghost 3 Might points (whether successful or not), and involves Magic Might vs. Magic Resistance rolls. If successful, the ghost may attempt to overthrow the target's mind to take a specific, short-term action. This occurs in the same round as the Contact. Control is a Personality Trait contest, using whatever traits are relevant to the conflict at hand. If the mortal's roll at least matches the ghost's roll, the ghost is held off and loses one Might point for each point by which it missed the target's roll. The ghost can try Control again next round. If the mortal's roll beats the ghost's by 3 or more, it is ejected from the mortal's body. In these cases, when the ghost fails Control, the target can do nothing more than writhe, scream or thrash about as the ghost assaults his or her mind. If the ghost's roll succeeds, then the ghost has control of the body for one action (killing an enemy, speaking a prophecy, running to a secret door, etc.), after which it must roll for Control again or be ejected. If the ghost runs out of Might points, it disappears until the Might is regenerated again.
- Prophecy - ghosts are outside of normal time, and often have knowledge of the future. Some can only pass on this knowledge through possession, though others have the power of speech. This power is tiring for the ghost, and will drain all of their remaining Might. They reserve this power for the direst emergencies.
- Propulsion - this power allows the ghost to move physical objects. Simply nudging an item requires only 1 Might Point, moving it an appreciable distance takes 2 Might points, throwing the item takes 3 Might points and hurling it violently takes 5 Might points. Larger objects are more difficult to move - for each size category above -3, the object requires 1 more Might point. Another Might point is added to the cost for each object of the same category of the first to be moved.

## Disposing of the walking dead

The permanent cessation of a ghost's haunting is not an easy affair. Every ghost has a reason why it has remained on earth, and only by resolving that tether will a ghost go peacefully to its rest. An exorcism performed by a trained exorcist (which is one of the minor Orders) banishes a ghost, and stops it haunting the living, but it is the psychic equivalence of death by violence. An exorcism treats the restless spirit as a demon and casts the ghost into Hell, where it will never reunite with its soul.

Using magic to destroy a ghost, such as Lay to Rest the Haunting Spirit is even worse than exorcism: this spell shreds the spirit, causing the phantom excruciating psychic pain before it is shattered. Note that a ghost that is reduced to zero Might points through its own use of its power is not banished - it will simply return once its Might has regenerated. Ghost-laying magic strips away the power of a ghost, destroying it utterly.

Those that have experience with ghosts will say that there is a better way to deal with ghosts. If the tethers that hold them on earth can be resolved, then the ghost will move on to its just reward and rejoin with its soul. In game terms, this is done by reducing each personality trait to zero. Positive traits must be decreased, negative ones increased until they are all zero. The ghost's permanent Might will fade along with the personality traits until nothing keeps it on earth. This is not a simple task, but one who is committed to laying ghosts can achieve it with patience. For example, if Alain, Benoic's rival, is persuaded to leave the children alone, or if they go to live elsewhere, then his Devotion to them will fade, knowing that they are safe. If his wife shows that she really did love him, laying flowers on his grave each year, then his Love for her will become resolved, and this personality trait will gradually fade (note that the love itself does not fade, just the power that it has over Benoic). Personality traits can also vanish all at once - if Benoic's rival should die suddenly or be driven mad by the ghost's hauntings, Benoic's Vengeful trait will vanish.

When a ghost finally does "pass on", it should be played as more than just a simple declaration - make it a production. Describe the process in detail, and portray a vivid and awe-inspiring scene. When a ghost is finally able to leave the confines of the mortal world, it is a very big affair indeed. Play it that way - pull all those metaphorical adjectives off the back burner.

There is a fourth way that results in a ghost leaving the earth. Ghosts are usually tied to people, and people die. The tethers of the ghosts therefore eventually fade naturally. Children grow up and no longer need protecting. Treacherous lovers and murderous parents eventually die, leaving the ghost with nothing to focus their vengeance upon. The tether has not been resolved - this only occurs if, for example, the ghost causes the death of its murderer. If the murderer dies a natural death, the tether remains unresolved, but there is nothing to keep it alive. In this situation, a ghost loses a point from unresolvable tethers each year (or a number of years equal to the current level of the tether - thus a personality trait of +5 loses a point after 5 years, then another after 4 years, etc.). A point of Might is lost with reach point of tether. Only one tether is reduced like this at a time (lowest first), thus ghosts that were originally very passionate can persist for a long time. Once all tethers are lost, the remaining Might (if any) fades away at the same rate. During this period, the ghost has no passion - it is just the sad remnant of a spirit, who has forgotten why it remained on earth. Eventually it will just fade away into nothingness. Unlike a ghost who has resolved the issues that kept it alive after death, an unresolved spirit will just fade into nothingness, never reaching the place where its soul now resides.

Example: Assume that none of Benoic's tethers are resolved. His wife, her lover and his children are all dead. By this time he has a might of 20. He loses his Devotion to his children first (it is the lowest of his personality traits), this takes a year to go. His Love for his wife is forgotten next, it becomes +1 after two years, and a third year causes it to vanish entirely. At this point he stops haunting the site of her grave, having forgotten who she was. He now only has a Might of 17. His Betrayal trait goes next - six years and it's all gone, and Benoic's Might is 14. All that is left him is his feelings of Vengefulness. The people of his village have stories of the ghost that alternatively sobs and howls the name of its murderer at the night sky, though few remember either Alain or Benoic. Another ten years and Benoic's ghost is left with no tethers and a Might of 10. However, something still keeps it on this earth - more habit than anything else. The ghost, greatly weakened by its fading, still scares the occasional traveller, though villagers have avoided the region for a generation now. The ghost that was Benoic (for it is rapidly losing its identity) now wanders the wastelands mindlessly, having completely forgotten why it remained on earth. It will be another two generations before it disappears entirely (55 years, in fact - 10 years for the first Might point, 9 years for the next, 8 years for the next, etc.).

## Tethers

The reasons that ghosts remain behind on earth are legion, and each case must be treated individually. However, there are a few tethers that crop up often, and these are given below, along with a story seed for each tether.

### Angry

These ghosts are usually the product of a death by violence. Most of them were also violent men themselves, perhaps killed according to law - hanged murderers or beheaded thieves may come back as Angry ghosts. These ghosts do not commonly direct their attacks against anyone in particular - their hauntings are usually random and as violent as their deaths. Most ghosts with the Angry tether are noisy spirits or 'poltergeists', with the Propulsion power. Should the ghost with this tether revenge himself on his murderers with his random attacks, then this tether is likely to resolve itself.

In life, Harlan was an evil man, raping and killing several young women. When the mob finally tracked him down, he was torn apart by them, such was the bad feeling he provoked among the fathers, brothers and lovers of the women that he'd killed. The evil of his life and the violence of his death was the cause of his return to the village of those that killed him. He does not manifest visually, but is instead a noisy spirit, haunting the home village of the men that killed him. He throws things around the houses, venting his anger and frustration indiscriminately. His Angry +5 tether will not be resolved until he has caused at least one death amongst his murderers - but he may kill others in the process who were not involved in his death

### Betrayed

Betrayal of some sort is perhaps the most common reason for a ghost to form - it is certainly the most favoured by folk tales. This tether binds those who were turned upon by one they loved or were otherwise loyal to. Murdered children, victims of treachery, the God-forsaken: all are held by bonds of betrayal. The ghosts of murdered lovers are the most pathetic of all, because murder is the ultimate betrayal. They return forever to the scenes of their lost happiness, bewilderedly seeking the reason why their love was so betrayed.

The broken hearted sobbing and wailing of betrayed ghosts is a hair-raising sound. Ghosts of this kind are quite harmless, having no reason to harm the living, and usually unaware of their presence. These ghosts do little more than bewail their fate - those that seek to avenge the treachery have the Vengeful tether instead. The more passive personality will tend to generate Betrayed tethers, whereas aggressive temperaments become Vengeful. Betrayed ghosts may resolve this tether if it is proved to them that they were not actually abandoned by their loved one, or that the perpetrator shows honest contrition.

A common theme in fairy tales is of a princess locked in a tower by her uncaring father, and eventually rescued by her dashing lover. In Ausberg, like many other places, there is a version of this story, however the heroine was the daughter of a powerful Landgraf, not a princess, and she was never rescued. Instead she starved to death, convinced right up to the moment of her death that her lover would return and save her from her fate. The tower is abandoned now - no one will live there because of the nocturnal sobbings. Two tethers bind her to this earth, Betrayed by Father +3, who locked her in the tower in the first place, and Betrayed by Lover +4, who never returned for her. If she can be convinced that there was a plausible reason for each Betrayal her tethers will be resolved.

### Dutiful

This tether is one that particularly holds on to warriors, but loyal servants can also be affected. These ghosts are often unaware that they died, but continue to perform the function that they did in life. It may be that a failure to do their duty lead to their death - and possibly the death of others - and they continue to do their job. In this case they may also have a Penitential tether as well. Dutiful tethers rarely fade; but if circumstances change, this tether might become redundant. For example, a lord's family ceases to inhabit a castle, then the ghostly manservant who failed the first Lord might gradually fade, as his Duty was to the family, not the building. A sentry, however, would continue to stand guard - it was his Duty to guard the building.

There is a unit of ghostly Roman legionnaires that patrol Hadrians Wall in the North of England. They were slaughtered by a group of marauding Picts when investigating the northern wilderness without permission, and they have never accepted their deaths. The twelve men, lead by their captain, still march their section of the wall, dressed in ancient armour, and are occasionally spotted by travellers. If given proof of their death (by showing them their crumbling skeletons, for example) they will resolve their Dutiful +3 tether.

### Frustrated / Obsessed

Some people die without achieving something, the pull of which is strong enough to keep them on earth. Sometimes this is unfulfilled passion, sometimes it is failure to find something that was searched for when alive. The second of these two tethers is the easiest to resolve - simply find what it was that the ghost was searching for. The former is more difficult - if the ghost is allowed to act out those repressed emotions, it may harm the living. However, should it discover that its failure was in vain, they may pass on.

The ghost of Jonas haunts a manor in Spain. In life he was the stableboy, who had an undying passion for one of the chambermaids. He died a virgin, unfulfilled and frustrated by his love. He now haunts the castle, visiting the bedchambers of women who stay there at night, and he acts out the passions that he never did in life. His Frustrated in Love tether of +3 causes him to attack women. His presence paralyses them with fright whilst his spirit molests them. If he can be convinced that this is not love, and that the chambermaid did indeed care for him after all, then he can pass on to his rest.

### Innocent

Those who die innocent may become revenants - literally 'returners', from the French revenir, to come again. They are the restless ghosts who return eternally to the scenes of deadly crimes, of which they were the victims. They return to bewail their untimely fates. The ghosts of innocents are perhaps the saddest cases of all, for it was the sins of others caused them to return as ghosts. Not all reveners are aware that they are dead, some just feel compelled to remain at the spot where they met their end. The Innocent tether is a difficult one to resolve - the ghost must realise that they were victims. Contrition from the perpetrator of the crime will do the job, but this is not always possible. Often the resolution of another tether will cause them to realise that they were a victim of senseless violence, and be able to move on.

The monks of Tynemouth Priory in Northumberland were slain by vikings in one of the first viking raids against the English coast. Seven holy men lost their lives as they prayed to God for protection against the ravages of the Norsemen. They still prowl the priory at night, especially around Candlemass, which is when they met their end. All of them bear the bloody wounds that caused their death. They remain on earth due to two tethers each - Innocent +4 and Betrayed by God +2. They blame God for their deaths, and will not pass on until they can be reconciled with the Lord.

### Jealous

These ghosts are resentful of mortals, and the pleasure that they can experience. They are particularly jealous of life, and are most likely to be murderous, stealing the life from others that is forever denied them. Not all of these ghosts seek to end the life of others, but many are driven by the need to ruin the lives of those they resented while they lived. The Jealous ghost will sometimes seek to bring ruin on one whom they hated, and thus possess a Vengeful tether as well. For a Jealous tether to be resolved, the ghost must be persuaded to abandon its hatred.

Meg was unable to have children, and she died a resentful wizened old hag. A few days after her death, she was seen in the village going into a house. The child in the house was later found to be dead, its life sucked out of it by the malice of the ghost of Meg. She is able to kill a sleeping infant by smothering its mouth with her own - a Stamina natural resistance roll is allowed. Meg will also attack pregnant women. Her Jealousy of Children tether of +4 will keep her on earth until she is destroyed. It is very unlikely that it will ever be resolved..

### Loving

Love is a powerful emotion, and can transcend death. Devotion to a lover can cause someone to remain after death, continuing to dote on their beloved. This can be destructive, as the ghost will often prevent anyone else loving the person that they loved, consigning their partner to a joyless life. Such Love tethers can usually only be resolved by the lover of the deceased, convincing them that they will always be loved, but that it is time to move on.

Love can drive people to suicide if unrequited. The spirits that result from such a death are often violent and self-hating, but will respond to the object of their love.

The Grey Lady of Viennois Castle in Normandy is a tragic figure. She was the wife of the third Count of Viennois, and upon hearing of his death in the First Crusade, she threw herself into the castle's moat. Her sorrow transcended death, and she haunts the castle grounds, unable to enter the castle herself. Her ghost is that of a young woman wearing grey, dripping water and endlessly sobbing. Her Love for her Lord +4 tether will only be resolved if someone gives her the skeleton (or at least the skull) of her dead lord, which resides in the family crypt within the castle. If only the family knew that it was this simple...

### Loyal to Family

Sometimes, loyalty towards one's own family can transcend death. Family ghosts driven by this tether are often centuries old. Loyalty towards one's family is very pernicious, as the activities of the ghost further their tethers, not reduce them. This tether drives ghosts to protect their descendants, sometimes for generations after their death. They might offer them prophecy, protection, or warnings against harm.

Several Irish families are known to have a banshee, a family ghost. Its wail is said to warn the family of the imminent death of one of its members, but this death can be avoided if the banshee is forced to name the victim. Banshees act not out of malice - they don't cause the deaths, just warn of them - but out of abiding loyalty. They appear as women, often seen washing clothes in a nearby stream or well, and were usually the wife or sister of the founding generation of the family. Their tether of Loyal to Family +6 can be reduced if their warning actually saves someone from their fate, but too few heed their warnings, figuring them to be demons of death.

### Malicious

Some people are just plain nasty, and death is not sufficient to stop them. This is similar in some respects to the Treacherous tether, however, ghosts driven by malice exist to do harm, and enjoy doing so. The Treacherous are driven out of revenge and jealousy instead. These ghosts are difficult to send onwards, as they probably have some inkling of the fate that awaits them, and find an earth-bound existence preferable to the fires of Hell. Should they be able to curb their sadistic tendencies, however, they may eventually resolve their tethers.

Haunting the marshes of the Camargue are the ghosts of a number of bandits who preyed upon the unwary during their lives. Some of them, when they died, were compelled to remain on earth. They now dwell in the marshes, having the appearance of balls of ghostly green light. They like to mislead travellers, who believe them to be the lights of other travellers or settlements, who follow them into the treacherous swamps and drown. It would take a holy man to make them see the error of their ways, and persuade them to relinquish their Malicious +2 tether.

### Penitential

A person who failed to perform their duty in life might try to make amends after their death. Often their failure will have lead to their death, and this is often sufficient to make the person return as a ghost to make restitution. If the ghost is able to prevent a similar failure from occurring again, or can be convinced that they were not truly to blame, this tether can be resolved. This tether, like Dutiful, rarely fades of its own accord. This tether also belongs to those who sinned in life and who cannot rest until they have paid off the debt that they feel they owe to society.

A road in East Anglia is haunted by a Padfoot, a huge black dog with glowing eyes. It follows lone travellers down the road, always staying a few paces behind and appearing very threatening. It never attacks travellers though, despite local stories. The padfoot is actually the ghost of a robber who used to haunt this area. He used to hire himself to travellers in Ipswich, then rob them once they were in the fens. His Penitential +2 tether will keep him guarding travellers from other bandits until he succeeds in preventing twenty bandit attacks - the number he committed in his lifetime.

### Restless

Some ghosts wander because their peace has been disturbed. Some cultures believe that the spirit remains with the body, and if the body is moved, then the spirit is dislodged from its bones, and will wander until they can be reunited. If a mirror is left showing at a wake, or an animal enter the room where the corpse is laying, then the spirit might become distracted and fail to join with its soul. Should a funeral be conducted incorrectly, or too late (it should occur within three days of death), or should the body not lay within consecrated ground, then a spirit is apt to wander, for no reason other than it has nothing better to do. These ghosts will abandon their eternal wandering if reunited with their bodies.

Marie killed herself when her baby was stillborn. It was all that she had left of her husband, who'd died fighting for their lord, and if the baby could not live, she had no desire to either. The parish priest refused to have the body of a suicide buried in the churchyard, so instead she was buried at a cross-roads at midnight, as was the custom. Marie returned as a ghost, the manner of her death not allowing her rest. However, she could not find her corpse - her sense for it disappeared at the cross-roads, and her ghost searched in all four directions to no avail. Her Restless tether of +2 will be resolved should she be reunited with her bones.

### Revelatory

People who lived a normally contented life, and died from natural causes or even from violence, never return as ghosts. They did not suffer the tragedy which creates a ghost. But, if some danger threatens those whom they loved during life, they make a supreme effort to re-appear in their once-familiar form. They generally appear only to issue a dire warning before returning to their rest. Woe betide those who ignore their warnings. Others want to inform their loved ones of a vital piece of information that they failed to impart before they died. Their attempts to communicate with the living are all to often misinterpreted, however. If the warned person takes heed of the information that the ghost seeks to impart, then the tether is resolved. If they do not, then the ghost is doomed to wander until someone takes note of what they have returned from the grave to say.

The Ankou are silent walkers of the night, whose appearance on the roads of Brittany presages a warning for those who see them pass by. An ankou will manifest as a tall gaunt man driving a cart drawn by a pale bony horse, accompanied by two silent figures who walk beside the cart. All have bowed heads so that one may not see their features. They make no sound - the horse's hooves, the wheels of the cart, the men's footsteps, all silent and leave no mark. As the grim entourage passes, the seated figure will turn and stare at the traveller, revealing himself to be a recently dead relative. This is a warning to the living that they had better change their ways, or death will soon result. The tether of the ankou is thus self-resolved, and the spirit can rest in piece.

### Treacherous

The most dangerous ghosts are those who practised some treachery during life. They may have been murderers, cheating friends, callous lovers, cruel parents or treasonous retainers. They betrayed those who trusted them. Their sins deny them rest, and they seek bitter, perpetual revenge on those who still know love and life. Only honest repentance will allow them to pass on - they are trapped in this world through their guilt, but unlike the Penitential do not try to atone for their sins, but instead hurt those who still live.

The Dark Man of Copenhagen is an evil spirit. It is said that he betrayed his king for gold, and allowed viking invaders to sack the city. He became its ruler after the Norsemen had left, paying tribute to his viking overlords and enjoying a rich and cruel life. He still haunts the city

### Vengeful

This is one of the most common tethers for ghosts - the desire to avenge one's death. Unlike the Betrayed tether, Vengeful ghosts seek to right the wrongs done to them in life. They do not always seek justice for their death, but sometimes another great wrong that was done to them prior to the end of their mortal life.

The White Lady of Verona is a ghost driven by Vengeance. She was the wife of a powerful nobleman, who died in the First Crusade. She held her husband's lands in her own name, but her son grew to resent his mother's political clout, and lead a rebellion against her. She was killed by him as she stood at the city gates of Verona, determined to stop her greedy son. After her death he rewrote history to make him the hero, saviour of Verona, and her an evil witch who slew his father. Both of them now wander the city at night. The son is held on earth by guilt - matricide is one of the most heinous crimes that a man can commit. She is driven by a desire to see her son's name reviled, as it should be. Once everyone knows the true story of her son, her Vengeful +5 tether will be resolved.

## The Ghosts of Magi

There is no reason why the ghosts of magi should be any different from the ghosts of normal people. The only exception to this is if they are able to possess magi, then they will be able to access the magics of the target, as they had the ability to cast spells during life.

For those who wish a greater challenge, then wizard ghosts can be made more powerful than the ghosts of mortals. The Broken Covenant of Calebais suggests that the Magic Might of a magus should be equal to its Creo + Vim score +10. Magi ghosts according to these rules retain knowledge of their spells, but almost entirely lose the ability to affect the physical world with them. To cast a spell costs 1 Might point per magnitude of the spell. Their spells can affect spiritual beings, such as other ghosts, normally. They can affect things in the immediate environment they haunt, but only by spending Magic Might points permanently. A ghost must always retain at least one permanent Magic Might. Ghosts cannot use their spells on physical things from outside the area they haunt (such as explorers). Thus a Pilum of Fire would cost 4 Might points and would damage another ghost, but not a mortal - though it would seem as real as the ghost itself. A wizard ghost could use a Perdo Terram spell to open up a hole that a mortal could fall down, but this would cost permanent Might points.